Tom Rolt (locomotive)

Tom Rolt

Type and origin Power type Steam Builder Andrew Barclay Sons & Co. Serial number 2263 Build date 1949 Total produced 3 Rebuilder Talyllyn Railway Rebuild date 1991 Number rebuilt 1

Specifications Configuration 0-4-0WT → 0-4-2T Gauge 2 ft 3 in (686 mm) Driver diameter 2 ft 0 in (610 mm) Trailing dia 1 ft 4 in (406 mm) Wheelbase 9 ft 10 in (3.00 m) Length 18 ft 8.5 in (5.70 m) Loco weight 14.25 long tons 285 cwt (63,800 lb or 29 t) Boiler pressure 180 lbf/in2 (1.24 MPa) Cylinders Two, outside Cylinder size

Performance figures Tractive effort 5,527 lbf (24.59 kN)

Career Operators Bord na Móna Talyllyn Railway Numbers BnM: 1 → 43 TR: 7

Tom Rolt is a narrow gauge steam locomotive constructed by the Talyllyn Railway, using parts from an Andrew Barclay locomotive built in 1949 for Bord na Móna.

History

Bord na Móna

The engine began life working for the Bord na Móna. This is a semi-state company in Ireland, created by the Turf Development Act, 1946. The company is responsible for the mechanised harvesting of peat, primarily in the Midlands of Ireland. This company uses narrow gauge railways to carry vast amounts of peat.

It was one of three 3 ft (914 mm) gauge 0-4-0WT well tank locomotives built by Andrew Barclay Sons & Co. in 1949; initially numbered 1 to 3; they were later renumbered 43 to 45.

Talyllyn Railway

As passenger numbers continued to grow during the late 1960s the Talyllyn Railway Preservation Society realised that further motive power was needed, especially as the rebuilt No. 1, Talyllyn was not performing well. However as the 2 ft 3 in (686 mm) gauge of the Talyllyn Railway was so unusual they could not buy an engine with the correct gauge, so would either have to buy and re-gauge an engine or else make a new engine. In 1969 the Talyllyn Railway purchased an 0-4-0 well tank engine from Bord na Móna, unofficially named Irish Pete, in order to create the new locomotive they needed.

File:'Tom Rolt', at Nant Gwernol - geograph.org.uk - 1415466.jpg

Tom Rolt at Nant Gwernol

The new engine was built in 1991 at Pendre works on the Talyllyn Railway. The frames, boiler, driving wheels, cylinders and other parts of the 0-4-0 well tank engine from Bord na Móna were used. The new engine became an 0-4-2 side tank and was named Tom Rolt after the author L. T. C. Rolt who inspired the Talyllyn's preservation.

Tom Rolt is running in the standard Talyllyn Railway livery of deep bronze green lined with black borders and yellow lining.

In fiction

All the steam engines on the Talyllyn Railway (and diesel locomotive Midlander) appeared many times in The Railway Series books by the Rev. W. Awdry on the Skarloey Railway. Tom Rolt formed the basis for the character Ivo Hugh.

Unlike the rest of the Talyllyn Railway engines Ivo Hugh only appeared in one story in which he was the new engine to arrive. His name, Ivo Hugh, is a reference to his real name, Tom Rolt, with even the same amount of letters and words. Also in the book of Thomas The Tank Engine in which he appeared (New Little Engine) it was announced he was named after the former Chief Mechanical Engineer of the Skarloey Railway, Mr. Ivo Hugh. This is a reference to Tom Rolt being named after an L.T.C Rolt on the Talyllyn Railway.